With the first five matches lined up in Chennai, many thought the neutral venue would be a blessing in disguise for Sunrisers Hyderabad. Instead, they got off to a shambolic start, and have only one victory in five attempts. Chennai Super Kings, on the other hand, have exceeded expectations by winning four out of five matches in the Mumbai leg of the tournament.
Now both of them will lock horns at Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. Chennai will be heading to this clash on the back of a thumping victory against Royal Challengers Bangalore, while Hyderabad went down against Delhi Capitals in a match that went down the wire.
The Super Kings will look forward to riding on the momentum and stretching their winning streak. However, there will be some questions that need to be addressed. Ambati Rayudu was seen hobbling while running between the wickets, and if the issue persists, he may make way for Robin Uthappa.
Moeen Ali did not feature in the last game due to a stiff hamstring. He is expected to return to the side. Dwayne Bravo may have to warm the bench in that case. Imran Tahir returned figures of 2-16 against RCB. He will be tasked to lead the spin department alongside Ravindra Jadeja.
After their defeat against Delhi Capitals, SRH skipper David Warner opined that Manish Pandey’s exclusion was a harsh decision on behalf of the team management. Although Kane Williamson’s inclusion has certainly bolstered their batting unit, their middle order still looks ordinary and unreliable. Virat Singh has failed to impress, and is unlikely to have another go after his dull knock against DC. Manish Pandey is likely to replace him.
The onus will be on the Bairstow-Warner combination to provide a decent start. While Bairstow has been in scintillating form, Warner has blown hot and cold this season.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar will be back in the starting line-up after missing the last match due to a thigh strain. He will spearhead the pace attack with Khaleel Ahmed, who was impressive against DC.
Warner’s men will be desperate to get their campaign back on the rails, and for this, they need to stop the seemingly daunting task of stopping the CSK juggernaut.
Head to head
CSK have had the edge with a scoreline of 10-4 in their favour.
Key Players
Kane Williamson (Sunrisers Hyderabad): Conditions in Delhi is likely to favour spinners and Williamson’s adeptness will come in handy for SRH. Further, he boasts a great record against CSK, amassing 301 runs in eight matches.
Ravindra Jadeja (Chennai Super Kings): Jadeja single-handedly won CSK a game against RCB. His batting in death overs will be crucial for CSK. Further, he can be equally threatening with the ball as well.
Likely XIs
Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Faf du Plessis, Moeen Ali/Dwayne Bravo, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (c & wk), Sam Curran, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Imran Tahir
Sunrisers Hyderabad: David Warner (c), Jonny Bairstow (wk), Kane Williamson, Manish Pandey, Vijay Shankar, Abhishek Sharma, Kedar Jadhav, Rashid Khan, Jagadeesha Suchith, Khaleel Ahmed, Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Prediction:
Sunrisers Hyderabad to emerge triumphant.